XE SV PROJECT 8 FIGURE
XE SV PROJECT 8 FIGURE OF 8 THE MOST POWERFUL ROAD-LEGAL JAGUAR EVER BUILT, HAS ITS ORIGINS IN THE FOUR-DOOR XE SEDAN. JAGUAR LAND ROVER SPECIAL VEHICLE OPERATIONS MANAGER DAVID POOK EXPLAINS WHY WE SHOULDN‘T BE SURPRISED Germany’s Eifel region is not just a topographer’s dream. Rolling plateaus formed by the erosion of volcanic mountains are interspersed by dense forests and vibrant streams. For over ninety years, this mystical part of the world has been home to the 12.9 mile Nürburging race track, famously christened by F1 legend Jackie Stewart as “The Green Hell”. The long and winding circuit is possibly the most exacting test any car will ever face, which explains why Jaguar has brought its XE SV Project 8 here for such an extreme test. Capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds (making it the fastest accelerating Jaguar ever) the car features a 592bhp V8 engine, all-wheel drive and just about everything in the magic chest of drive-train and handling technology available today, sharpening the claws of Jaguar’s attractive four-door saloon and creating the ultimate track maestro. One man knows better than anyone why the XE was the perfect platform for Project 8. 42-year-old Vehicle Dynamics Engineer David Pook is a graduate of Coventry University’s Automotive Engineering Design course. A sports car enthusiast for as long as he can remember, Pook has been living this dream ever since joining Jaguar Land Rover. Over seventeen years many of the Jaguars carrying the “R” badge have passed across his desk. The move to SVO to head up his own team and tasked with delivering vehicle dynamics on all SVO products was in Pook’s words, “a door I always wanted to open”. SVO is tasked with showcasing Jaguar’s capabilities and engineering. Regarding the decision to utilise the XE Pook says, “It wasn’t a case of seeing what we can do with XE – it was more about what we wanted to achieve as a team. We weren’t interested in making a hero car that only a few can get on top of.” The SVO team is rightly passionate about ultra -high-performance cars and wanted to do a small volume track car. “We wanted to create the ultimate driver’s vehicle.” XE features Jaguar’s latest generation platform, which suited exactly what the team needed. Even the fact that this was a four-door car, which is unusual in this segment, made perfect sense from an engineering point of view. Project 8 presented several engineering challenges. As if shoehorning a V8 engine into the XE (which wasn’t designed with this engine in mind) wasn’t enough, guaranteeing a certain level of extreme performance and accompanying grip meant that the engine needed to be mated to all-wheel drive. PHOTOGRAPHY: BEADYEYE.TV / NICK DUNGAN 52 THE JAGUAR
There’s arguably no tougher test of a car and driver than ‘The Green Hell’ of the Nürburgring EIGHT FACTS AND FIGURES Essentially Project 8 marries an F-TYPE SVR all-wheel drive power train into the rear-wheel drive of the XE. The hardware – a centre clutch sending torque to the front axle when required, an electronic rear axle differential and torque vectoring on both axles, makes for a satisfyingly connected driving experience – highlighting in essence the fact that software is as much the performance lever in the tuning environment as the components themselves. What makes Project 8 so special is its level of connection between the software modifying the car’s behaviour responding to steering and throttle inputs and the driver. Asked what made him proud about Project 8, Pook refers to its tactility, “It genuinely makes you tingle, not just at the Nürburgring. This is a no-nonsense, no compromise car. Everything we needed to hit our performance targets, we did.” OFFICIAL EU FUEL CONSUMPTION FIGURES FOR XE SV PROJECT 8 in l/100km: Urban 12.4; Extra urban 9.5; Combined 11; CO 2 emissions (combined) g/km: 254. For comparison purposes only. Real world figures may differ. Discover more on the testing, visit jaguar.com/project8 1. 300 cars to be built 2. 80% of the major engineering content is unique to the XE SV Project 8 3. 0-60 mph in 3.3 seconds 4. 200 mph top speed 5. Power output of 600PS (700 Nm) 6. 8-speed transmission with 0.2 seconds quickshift paddle gear change 7. Carbon ceramic brakes (400 mm front) 8. Special lightweight forged alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres “WE WANTED TO CREATE THE ULTIMATE DRIVER’S VEHICLE” THE JAGUAR 53
